Sheep and Goats

The week from 8th to 15th September was a very bad one to have chosen for a holiday in SW Crete! It started with heavy cloud and a slightly chilly wind. Not beach weather at all, and we went over to "season end" mode with interesting lunches. One such was a delicious offering at the newish taverna whose name we can't pronounce:- Meth-something. Afterwards we walked round the headland and saw a pair of goats tethered to give them access to the overflowing and upturned rubbish bins. This did not help Bob's aversion to goat meat!

.. which leads on to yesterday's little jape!

Azogires is a small but famous village high in the hills above Paleochora - 10 kilometres from the Chania road. We haven't been for years but have heard many tales of the goings-on up there - most especially at the Alpha kafenion where Lucky reigns. Good old Mick volunteered to drive us and Jeff up for a few hours of mountain air and culture!
Soon after arrival we were joined by a huge, old and very smelly ram with a bell. Lucky explained to German tourists that he has eleven ewes to service - and he does indeed have most impressive gonads! His name is Gerios or similar meaning "old man" - but also gets mentions on the Paleochora site as being Michael Jackson in disguise! Lucky spent a long time scratching his (the ram's!) most prominent features. After that we served ourselves!

A delightful excursion and so cheap - 16 bottles of beer for 15 euros!

oh - and the weather... storms through Thursday and Friday then overcast, chilly wind. Back on the beach today, though!

Wedding of the Year

A couple of weeks ago we were honoured to attend the wedding of Stephanie and Leon. Actually there was no great selection process involved - this was a Greek "open" wedding at which 1500 guests were anticipated!

We have known Stephanie for about 15 years, She lives in the village and mother Vicky is British-born. She married Leon (of Jamaican heritage) whom she met when studying in the UK.

The Church bit started at 6.30 and we decided to watch the arrivals from the comfort of outside Cosmogonia. En route there from the beach we passed the main car being decorated by the florist.

The path from gate to church was also decorated in ivory and gold, and there were glorious dresses and Leon looking elegant in a totally white outfit. We didn't go in but went back home to change. On the way back to the church we passed the priest (one of our neighbours) and thought we might have missed the ending - but far from it! The marriage was followed by the baptism of their daughter Anastasia:- which from the sound of it she did not like!
Eventually there was a drifting off of guests and we collected our bag of almonds and went to kill time before going up to the reception in Koundouras.

Most weddings end up in the huge function hall there. It has been recently renovated and can allegedly cope with 3000 guests. The procedures and menu are always the same. We joined a "foreigners'" table on which were all the things that could be placed in advance:- wine, water, tsikoudia, sticky cakes, sweet bread, cheese pies, cheese and nuts. (Invited guests were on their own tables - we saw staff from the bank, supermarkets, several restaurants, and other businesses.)

Then came some meat :- we were expecting goat liver but it was ordinary goat. The waiters have to navigate around densely packed tables and they work in pairs - with one carrying a huge tray above his head, and the other doing the removal and placing of plates. It was then hours before the wedding couple and attendants arrived. After a grand entrance we all queued up to shake all the hands and hand over the gift envelope. (Contrary to what is often described these are put in a basket - not pinned to the dress!)
The meal continued with goat and lovely creamy and lemony pilafi, then salad, lamb and potatoes, and fruit. The wine was free-flowing and the couple, parents and best man and woman toured every table to drink a toast with all. Then dancing and singing. We left at about 2am!

Euro-bites

After our return we found ourselves in a social whirl! So many regulars were here for their couple of weeks and there were mulitiple invitations.

Among the "regulars" are Ludovico and Walter from Milan also keen readers of this blog! Ludovico lost a crown from a front tooth whilst here, and knew about Dimitri the Dentist's fine work after Ruth's little laptop accident. He too went to Dimitri and is here showing the world what good job was done! (He was charged 10 Euros more, though! - must be because he is Italian!)

On Sunday 23rd there was a real Euro-soiree laid on by Parisienne Marie-Yvonne (spelling probably wrong here!) to celebrate belatedly a very significant birthday and her acquisition of a yearly lease on an apartment near us.

Guests were almost equally divided between French, Italian, Greek and British, and there was some pretty silly behaviour - mostly from some of the Italian contingent!

Here is the hostess with little Opaline!

We finally got round to wearing the Club T-shirts - which were supposed to be printed in April in Fuerteventura. The nasty Spanish transfer sheets we used are not recommended. Next year we will use a professional printer!

Here are the front and back designs - uniquely amateur but all our own work!